THE BUTTERFLY
by Donna McIntosh
Summary: A tiny insignificant thing changes Ennis’s mind.


TITLE: The Butterfly

AUTHOR: dmcintoshtx

RATING: R

PAIRING: Jack and Ennis

WARNING: none

DISCLAIMER: These characters belong to Annie Proulx; not me.

SUMMARY: A tiny insignificant thing changes Ennis's mind.

THE BUTTERFLY

"It's five thirty and I'm outta here!" Jack waved at the

receptionist and headed for the door.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Twist. You have one more customer. She's

waiting for you in your office."

"This late?" he grumbled and made a face but went back down the hall

to his little office at the end.

The young lady sitting there looked startling familiar but it

couldn't be her. No way could it be her.

He sat at his desk and said, "How can I help you Miss. You

interested in farm equipment?" Couldn't be her. Just looks like her.

"Actually, no, I'm not. I met you once a long time ago, do you

Remember me, Mr. Twist?"

The trembling, inside became more and more difficult to control.

Couldn't be her.

"I'm ...not sure. You're not from around here?"

"No. I'm from Riverton. Riverton, Wyoming." Junior was so nervous;

she couldn't decide where to start.

He stared at her for long moments. Long dark hair, big brown eyes; a

real sweetness about her.

"You're Junior?" It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes. I need to talk with you. It's really important but this

probably isn't the right place." She noticed the framed photo of

Jack, Lureen, and Bobby and felt uncomfortable. Maybe she shouldn't

be here. This might be a mistake. She took a deep breath and went

on. "It's...private. Is there someplace we could go? Get a cup of

coffee, maybe?"

Fear gripped him. What was she doing here? What could she possibly

want? "Is it Ennis? Is he alright?"

She saw the fear in his eyes and knew she had made the right decision

to come here.

"Yes and no. He's alright for now...but we really need to

talk...privately."

"Yes, of course." He stood, got his jacket and walked her out the

side door. "There's a coffee shop across the street. Food is lousy

so there isn't much business this time of day but the coffee is

pretty good."

They crossed the street to the cafe and took a seat in a booth in the

rear. Coffee was placed in front of them and she began.

"You and Daddy have known each other a long time."

"Yes; since 63...A long time."

"I remember when you used to come up and go fishing with him. He was

sooo happy then. Only time I ever did see him really happy." She

sipped her coffee.

"Those were good times. Still are; whenever we can get away. Not

all that often any more."

"You probably know him better than anyone else. Better than any of

us. You're the only friend I've ever heard him talk about. Probably

the only real friend he ever had."

"Is something wrong with him? Is he sick? Hurt?" he wanted to grab

her by the shoulders and shake her and yell at her, 'Say what you

came to say, damn it; you're scaring me!'

"He's not hurt or anything like that; or sick that I know of. He's

just so...miserable; so unhappy." She made eye contact at this

point. She had to see how he was taking this.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and asked, "Did he ask you to

come here?"

"No. He'd kill me if he knew I was here." She assured him. "I just

thought that maybe, you might know...why? Why is he so unhappy?"

No answer was forthcoming so she went on. "I went to see him a few

days ago, and ...I'm sure he'd been crying. His eyes were all red;

he just looked so miserable. I've been trying to get him to get out

of that trailer once in a while but he won't budge. It's work, then

the trailer. That's it. He used to date a little but not in years.

He's just so ...alone." She took a tissue out of her purse and

wiped her eyes.

"Did you ask him?" That was a silly question and he knew it. Ennis

would never tell his secret. He was stalling for

time, trying to figure out what to do.

"I've asked him a million times. All he'll say is stuff that don't

make no sense. Stuff like, he's had his chance and he blew it; and

it's too late for him. He won't go into detail, but I kinda got the

feeling...maybe it was you he was talking about. Is that

possible?"

"I can't really talk with you about this." he lowered his head and

stared into his coffee cup.

"I know. I know. I didn't expect you to. I just needed to let you

know, I guess, that's he's so miserable and unhappy. I thought

maybe...I don't know what I thought. I guess I thought that you

needed to know. "

"You came all the way down here to tell me this?" He looked at her

again.

"Yes. Yes, I did. Daddy is...I don't know. Mr. Twist. I just

know he's getting worse and I'm afraid for him." She was wiping

tears away again. "I know you got your life down here and

everything...but...he doesn't have anyone. Anyone at all except

for those few visits you pay him each year." She left it at that.

He didn't know what to say. What could he say? He could not have

this conversation with Ennis's daughter; could not.

"I have tried so hard over the years to..." he stopped. Ennis

would not approve of him talking to Junior about these things.

"Then try again!" she was adamant. "Whatever it takes. Please. You

have to do something." She was desperate.

"He really in that bad a shape?"'

"Yes! You have no idea. Please. If you can do something, anything,

you have to do it."

"You might not like it if I do." He warned her.

"If you don't...I don't know what's gonna happen to him. How long

can a person live in misery? How long can a person drink himself

into a stupor every night? If you don't do something...I don't

know...how much time he'll have left." She looked at her watch and

said, "I have to go. My flight leaves in an hour and I can't miss

it. No one knows I'm here. I want to get back before anyone knows

I'm gone. She stood to leave. "If you can do anything, anything at

all, I don't care what it is; who's feathers get ruffled. Do it.

And do it soon before it's too late."

"I can drive you to the airport." He offered standing up and

dropping some bills on the table for the waitress.

"Not necessary." she said walking towards the door. "I made

arrangements with the taxi driver to be back here. There he is

now."

He walked her back across the street. "Please, Mr. Twist. I

wouldn't have come here if I wasn't really worried about Daddy."

"I understand." He held the taxi door for her. "I appreciate that

you came all this way to tell me this. And I promise you this, I'll

do whatever I can possibly do to rectify this situation."

He closed the taxi door and she was off.

He drove to the nearest bar. He sat alone at a table, away from most

of the noise and drank. After the third drink, he'd made his

decision. He went home, had a long talk with Lureen, packed his

truck and left. He drove all the way to Cheyenne and stopped at a

motel for the night. The next morning he arrived in Riverton at

Ennis trailer part just before noon. It was Saturday morning and

Ennis truck was gone. He always did his grocery shopping and running

around Saturday mornings so Jack decided to sit on the steps and wait.

He didn't have long to wait. The old truck pulled up and stopped.

Ennis waited a spell then climbed down from his truck.

He looked around nervously, to see if anyone was watching. "Wasn't

expectin company" he said, dark eyes peering out from under the brim

of his hat. He proceeded to unload groceries. Jack walked over and

gave him a hand, hefting two cases of beer on his shoulder and in a

voice low and intimate said just three words. "I love you." He

followed him to the door.

Ennis dropped his keys. Dark eyes nailed blue eyes. "You come up

here just to say that?" he opened the door and went in, placing his

bags on the counter. Jack followed and set the beer down on the

floor.

"Uh huh. It needed sayin." Jack stood, hands on hips ready for an

argument.

"OK. It's said. Don't change nothin now, does it?" Ennis brushed past

him and walked back out to the truck for another load. Jack followed.

"Thought it might." he said and sat himself down in a lawn chair.

Ennis brought the last two bags stuck them inside and sat down

opposite him. "It don't."

They sat in silence for a while, neither willing to give up his side

of this impossible, nearly 20 year old, debate.

A beautiful yellow butterfly flittered by, stopping for a moment on

Ennis's knee. They watched it flitter off across the driveway and

saw the cat as she pounced and got the thing. One gulp and it was

gone.

"A thing of beauty, gone like that, in an instant." Jack

mused. "That could be either one of us. Car crash, plane crash, bar

fight, illness. Anything at all could happen in an instant and one

of us could be gone. Then what, Cowboy?" They watched the cat lick

her paws and walk off under the neighbors trailer.

Jack went on; this time with his eyes glued to Ennis slumped

form. "What would you do, Ennis, if word came to you that I was

dead?" He stopped, his words stinging in his throat. "What would I

do If I got news that you were gone?"

Ennis stood up and went into the trailer. Jack followed. He found

Ennis furiously slamming canned goods into the pantry.

"It's time, Ennis. You know it as well as I do. We can't go on

tearing each others guts out like this any longer."

Ennis turned to him, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I don't wanna

live like this any more. I CAN'T!"

"Me neither. So let's do something 'bout it. Let's do it now."

Jack went to him and took him in his arms. "Haven't we punished

ourselves enough? Can't we just take what's left of our lives and

try and make a life together?"

Ennis was rigid one minute and shaking the next. "I never wanted to

be apart from you, Jack. It killed me inside that very first time we

said good-bye in Signal. And each time we said it, it got worse."

He rubbed his face into Jack's shoulder. "If you still want to do

it...you know, get a place, I mean...well I ain't gonna say no

again. Not to nothin you ever want again. I promise you that."

Jack held on tight and said a silent prayer, "Thank you God, and

Please don't let this be a dream!"

"We can go any place you want, Ennis. Or stay around here so you

can see the girls; whatever you want."

"Right now, I just want you to hold me. And don't never let go,

Jack. I don't never want to be alone again!"

"I won't let go, Cowboy. I promise. You're mine now, and I'm

yours. Ain't nothin never gonna change that."

They stood together for some time, just holding on while Ennis hummed

a silent little tune.

The End


End file.
